best cost no object, cables

[2Windows]

As the title says, among the cost no object cables, which are the best? Siltech, Crystal Cables, Tara Labs, Transparent, MIT?

Is there a manufacturer that delivers cables with similar performance, but with not exorbitant prices?

 

[dan31]

The Belden Iconoclast cables are considered a good value with some options for conductors.

https://www.iconoclastcable.com/

 

[BruceD]

[QUOTE="2Windows, post: 674937, member: 15653"

Is there a manufacturer that delivers cables with similar performance, but with not exorbitant prices?[/QUOTE]

Yep-- https://blackcatcable.com

Since I got stuck in this game in 1960--I've tried and lived with most of the big names--and lesser ones that deliver above their pay grade.

Being a Classical trained Musician --I probably look and value sonic presentation different to some of you but

I found the Cat to deliver in spades- recommended

YVMV

BruceD

 

[Tango]

Yep-- https://blackcatcable.com

Since I got stuck in this game in 1960--I've tried and lived with most of the big names--and lesser ones that deliver above their pay grade.

Being a Classical trained Musician --I probably look and value sonic presentation different to some of you but

I found the Cat to deliver in spades- recommended

YVMV

BruceD

Which one are you using. The Coppertone?

 

[Al M.]

As the title says, among the cost no object cables, which are the best? Siltech, Crystal Cables, Tara Labs, Transparent, MIT?

Is there a manufacturer that delivers cables with similar performance, but with not exorbitant prices?

WBF member DaveC's ZenWave cables are excellent, at not exorbitant prices. All the analog signal cables throughout my system are ZenWave. Love them. Superb resolution, natural sound.

He sends demos out to try.

 

[Testy Troll]

The new Fidelium Speaker Cables are revolutionary!
After reading this review I decided to give them a try.
www.thesoundadvocate.com/2020/06/silversmith-audio-fidelium-speaker-cables-first-review/
They are KILLER! An all time best buy.
My own review will appear in a few days.

 

[BruceD]

Which one are you using. The Coppertone?

Hello MrT!--

Nay not the newer cables as of yet--

I use the Dragon/Tombo/i700 Reference Series from a few years back Inters' and Speaker these I found more pleasing than my previous Nordost

Valhallas and NBS. I only have the Lupo Silver Wolf PC's of the current BlackC stock--

These replaced the much lauded Shunyata NR PC's--which seems to dull down the dynamics--they went pronto.

The Sommovigo cables deliver all I require and some--don't feel the need to change.

Good Listening,

BruceD

 

[Mike Lavigne]

As the title says, among the cost no object cables, which are the best? Siltech, Crystal Cables, Tara Labs, Transparent, MIT?

Is there a manufacturer that delivers cables with similar performance, but with not exorbitant prices?

your post asks 2 questions. i'm going to suggest that to my ears the answer to the first question might not be "the usual suspects". LFD cables from the UK are not in-expensive. but might be better than any of the other ultra expensive cables. here is a link to a recent thread about them where i call them cables as components due to the extraordinary degree of performance that they offer.

https://www.whatsbestforum.com/thre...d-i-c-from-the-uk-cables-as-components.31243/

 

[microstrip]

IMHO there is no best cable - cables are very system dependent and user preferences also differ significantly.

Considering the second question we have to try. There are many ways of building a system, I personally have not found a way of making any Belden or Mogami sound like Nordost Odin II ...

 

[joaovieira]

I use Schnerzinger cables. My are the 2000 series, entry level, and are the best cables I had on my system so far.
Schnerzinger can be very expensive on its upper versions. The individual lines, where they make the cables customized to your system, are not achievable for most audiophile.

 

[PeterA]

[QUOTE="BruceD, post: 675034, member: 496]These replaced the much lauded Shunyata NR PC's--which seems to dull down the dynamics--they went pronto.
[/QUOTE]

I recently heard these power cords in a friends system and came to the same conclusion. The sound was dull and lifeless. As soon as we removed them, first from the amps and then later from the DAC, and replace them with stock power cords, the system opened up and sounded much better.

Reducing noise (NR) is great as long as it does no harm to the portrayal of the music. These imposed a very strong sonic signature, at least on this one system. I have other friends who swear by them.

 

[Al M.]

I recently heard these power cords in a friends system and came to the same conclusion. The sound was dull and lifeless. As soon as we removed them, first from the amps and then later from the DAC, and replace them with stock power cords, the system opened up and sounded much better.

Reducing noise (NR) is great as long as it does no harm to the portrayal of the music. These imposed a very strong sonic signature, at least on this one system. I have other friends who swear by them.

Agreed, I shared your experience that day. On the other hand, I've heard a Shunyata Delta v2 NR cord in my system on the DAC, and it was fine. So here's a positive.

Yet that was just on a source, not a power amp where apparently those NR cords have more of a tendency to choke the sound.

I'm not sure though if the Shunyata cord is any better on the DAC than my isolation transformer for half the price, and that transformer can feed all my three digital components, not just one.

 

[highstream]

As the title says, among the cost no object cables, which are the best? Siltech, Crystal Cables, Tara Labs, Transparent, MIT?

Is there a manufacturer that delivers cables with similar performance, but with not exorbitant prices?

A better question is what might work best for your listening preferences, given your system. But you’ll have to describe those.

 

[heihei]

Skogrand are certainly money no object. The speaker cables are incredible in the right system.

 

[thedudeabides]

There is no best. It's all subjective and based on system synergy, components, the room, your hearing acuity, etc. Best is what sounds most musically involving to you. No other opinions are valid. I suspect the manufacturer / dealer mark up on the uber priced cables is quite substantial. And the resale value of this type product is marginal at best.

 

[bazelio]

Skogrand are certainly money no object. The speaker cables are incredible in the right system.

What's the "right system"?

 

[Holli82]

MasterBuilt

 

[highstream]

There is no best. It's all subjective and based on system synergy, components, the room, your hearing acuity, etc. Best is what sounds most musically involving to you. No other opinions are valid. I suspect the manufacturer / dealer mark up on the uber priced cables is quite substantial. And the resale value of this type product is marginal at best.

While i agree with your main thought, I think it turns things around from the standpoint of the buyer. Unless one’s choices are driven by ego, the first step is to learn “what sounds most musically involving to you.” Then one can search for a best in that context. I’m reminded of that forum thread not too long ago where some guys in S. Korea or Hong Kong or thereabouts did a project listening to every high end dac available in their country, a whole lot, giving a score to each. I’ve owned two or three dacs on that list which met my tastes, and I can say one did so far better than the other(s), as reflected in their scores, and I wasn’t even close to the highest scoring ones (I’d love to hear some of those).

It’d be interesting to research your last thought about the very high end used market, vs. lower priced items. However, my understanding is that the largest percentage markups are not at the dealer level, but by the manufacturer and importer, if there is one. Publicized sales typically come from the manufacturer cutting the price to dealers, allowing the latter to make up the difference on volume, (at least theoretically).

 

[Al M.]

What's the "right system"?

The system that compensates for the colorations of the cable. Talk about building a system around a cable.

Just kidding. I also found it an odd comment.

 

[heihei]

The system that compensates for the colorations of the cable. Talk about building a system around a cable.

Just kidding. I also found it an odd comment.

Sorry - was rushed comment, rather than odd!

I've found Skogrand incredibly transparent (yeh yeh everyone says that about their favourite cables), so when I was running Mayer / Bernings I found the system too forward / bright. With the Audionet that is not the case. My assumption therefore is that other cables were filtering the Mayer / Bernings as it is hard to see how any cable would add this.